SAE International is taking the lead in a new process to establish performance standards for automated-vehicle testing.

SAE International is taking the lead in a new process to establish performance standards for automated-vehicle (AV) testing. The Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Safety Performance Testing Program is in response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration request for SAE to help create a regulatory framework for AV testing. The program was announced by SAE chief product officer Frank Menchaca (right) during the 2018 CAR Management Briefing Seminar.

To create the ADS Safety Performance Testing Program, an SAE-led network of experts from industry, government, and research organizations will define a design domain based on development criteria and best practices, with the goal of establishing industry standards for variable performance testing of automated and self-driving vehicles.

“SAE is leveraging its longstanding role as a convener of industry, government and the global research community to lead the development of this [AV] technology at scale,” Menchaca explained.

The new AV performance testing program – in conjunction with NHTSA – is the latest in a series of SAE efforts related to development, public acceptance and awareness of AVs. Recent activities include educational forums, research publications and self-driving demonstrations open to the public.

A number of accidents involving AV testing on public-roads, including a controversial fatality in Arizona last spring, have put greater public and governmental scrutiny on the activities. While half of the U.S. states have regulated AV testing to varying degrees, vehicle developers and technology suppliers continue to argue the benefits of logging test miles to accumulate data in real-world traffic scenarios.